There figures to be plenty of excitement heading into Thursday's opening round.

World No. 1 Luke Donald, second-ranked Rory McIlroy, Mickelson and four-time champion Tiger Woods have won PGA Tour events in the run-up to the Masters.

The soft conditions, Mickelson said, opens the door for players like McIlroy to make a barrage of birdies and run away and hide with this event the way he did in winning the 2011 U.S. Open.

"He plays without fear, which is a great way to play," Mickelson said of McIlroy. "When you get soft conditions like at the U.S. Open (last year), he's going to light it up."

McIlroy is seeking redemption from his back-nine meltdown at Augusta that cost him the tournament. Woods is also chasing a golf rebirth, hoping to add his first major title since 2008 -- before a sex scandal tarnished his image.

Mickelson carries no such baggage into the season's first major. When he won here two years ago, the focus was as much on Mickelson's wife, Amy, and her fight against breast cancer. Now all's well with the Mickelson family, who'll join Phil this weekend then leave for a vacation in the Bahamas next week.

Mickelson hopes the preparation he's put in, plus the years of knowledge he's accumulated, will pay off this week. He's also counting on the sun to kick in as well to dry up the greens and give them their trademark lightning speed that typically punishes aggressive play.

"If the green speeds get a little bit quicker and get a little bit firmer, I think we'll see some of the young players make some mistakes that will cost them the tournament," Mickelson said. "The experienced players who position the ball properly and vary their risk-reward shot making, I think they will have an easier time staying on the leaderboard."